5 lineup decisions the Bruins must face ahead of final roster cuts

“We said we were gonna use, not only today, but specifically [Saturday] where we’ll do a little bit of scrimmaging again and special-teams situation before we make final decisions on where we’re headed,” Jim Montgomery said on Friday afternoon. “So nothing’s imminent right now on anybody.”

With more roster cuts on the way, here are five lineup decisions that the Bruins still need to settle before Oct. 11.

Where does Matt Poitras play?

It’s not set in stone quite yet, but it’s all but a given that 19-year-old Matthew Poitras will break camp with the Bruins after a stellar preseason run.

The next challenge for the poised pivot and 2022 second-round pick is sticking up in Boston for the entire season. The Bruins can play Poitras in nine total NHL games this season before they need to decide to either keep him for the long haul (and burn the first year of his entry-level contract) or send him back to juniors for the 2023-24 campaign.

But as Boston looks to see if Poitras has the mettle to survive an 82-game gauntlet in the pros, the question remains as to where the rookie is best utilized in Boston’s lineup.

As tempting as it might be to see how a gifted playmaker like Poitras fares when slotting next to some elite-level talent on the wing in Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk, the logical starting point for him is on the third line next to Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie.

That trio was arguably the strongest forward group on Thursday against the Rangers, with both Frederic and Geekie submitting their best performances of the fall and complimenting Poitras’ play in the O-zone.

“I think last night, the game-winning goal is a perfect example,” Montgomery said of how Frederic’s game can help Poitras. “Freddie’s a load when he’s moving and he’s going north. I think he’s underrated as far as how skilled he is. But he’s a skilled player that can work in behind you, work through you, and he’s got to get below the tops and that’s what he did on that goal.

“He chipped the puck in, he beat the two defensemen himself. Geekie creates the support, we have our offensive triangle that we like in the O-zone early and then he makes a special play and Poitras is patient enough as F3 to stay wide open at the net front.”

It sure would be easier for Poitras if he had players like Marchand to rely on to drive play, night in and night out. But Boston likely wants to see if their top prospect has the means to hold his own further down the lineup first before elevating him on the depth chart.

If Poitras can make it past that nine-game trial, perhaps that opens the door for him to earn a top-six look — potentially creating a domino effect of pushing another strong center in Charlie Coyle back down to his usual spot on the third line.

But such a scenario likely isn’t going to be considered until Poitras proves that he can stick around the whole 2023-24 season with the Bruins.

Who will win the 4C job?

At this point, the battle for Boston’s fourth-line center role comes down to veteran Patrick Brown or Providence regular Johnny Beecher.

Once considered to be destined for more AHL seasoning, Beecher has dispelled some of that narrative with a strong preseason with Boston.

The fleet-footed forward still carries the expectations of being a former first-round pick, but Beecher’s size (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) and acceleration could make him a menace on the forecheck on a checking line.

When he’s on his game, Beecher draws some parallels to Sean Kuraly — perhaps with a bit less offensive punch and a bit more sandpaper.

But on Friday, it was Brown who was centering Boston’s fourth line alongside one established checking-line forward in Milan Lucic.

Brown, signed by Boston on the first day of free agency, is a solid penalty killer, hits a ton, and is great at faceoffs (56.1 career FO%). But if Boston is looking to inject more dynamic play into that fourth line, Beecher makes a very compelling case next to another speedster in Jakub Lauko.

“You can tell he’s a smart hockey player that understands the details, because as camp has gone on, he’s gotten better,” Montgomery said of Brown on Friday. “I thought he was very effective for us last night.

“And I remember talking to him, maybe it was four days ago and asked him how he thinks it’s coming along. And he’s been saying he’s really been focusing on how we play so he can play faster, and you’re starting to see it.”

Does Mason Lohrei stick with the NHL club?

Lohrei, much like Poitras, has done a great job this preseason of accelerating his projected developmental timeline and just how long he needs to become a viable NHLer.

A gifted offensive playmaker on the blue line with an imposing frame (6-foot-5, 211 pounds), Lohrei might have the highest ceiling of any Bruins prospect. But he still has plenty to work on as far as his D-zone fundamentals and skating.